WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? ODDS AND PREDICITONS

The European Champions League kicks off tonight in what has been one of the most hotly anticipated seasons in a long, long time.
In a competition that puts the best of Europe up against each other for bragging rights, never has the intensity been higher than it currently lies, with the World Cup serving to highlight just how much football talent Europe possesses.
In a word this tournament is going to be 'EPIC'!
There are some fantastic betting opportunities available to the viewing public, with possibly the most fascinating being the long odds set on Inter to retain their title
Having lost the charismatic managerial skills of Jose Mourinho, Inter has seen their stock drop significantly, with Betfair putting Inter at a massive 16.0 to retain the title.
As seen across the board Barcelona, fielding one of the most gifted squads from a talent perspective, are odds on favourite to win the tournament at 3.85. When coupling the likes of Villa and Messi up front, one can easily being to see this scenario becoming a reality.
Fellow Spanish club-and clearly one to keep an eye on this season- Real Madrid come in at second best according to Ladbrokes at 7.0- equal on the betting front to English Premiership champions Chelsea. Ronaldo has dubbed this season as the season that Madrid finally break their Champions League ‘Last 16’ hoodoo- which has seen the club knocked out 6 times in a row at this stage. And one must think that if he is on top of his game, Ronaldo might very well play a role in doing just that.
Former Champions, and Premiership runners-up Manchester United are next up at 9.0, with London outfit Arsenal placed at a lowly 15.0. Considering Arsene Wenger's current injury woes, even this might seem somewhat optimistic.
German Champions Bayern Munich comes in at 16.5- with many punters considering this to be a decent outsider based on their phenomenal attacking ability.
Following a third-place finish in last years’ Serie A, AC Milan are rank outsiders at 22.0, clearly lacking the ability to win a tournament of this magnitude, on somewhat of a mediocre midfield.
From there the odds get somewhat ridiculous, with French Ligue 1 runners-up Lyon locked in at 80.0, with French league winners Marseille at a ludicrous 180!
The odds form here on out get rather silly, with it very clear that this will be a tournament of big names, and big names only.
The Champions League is simply the best of the best- from players to budgets and everything in-between.
One must feel that with the ability that English champions Chelsea are purveying so early on in their domestic season that they could be a great shout, however again, this tournament is at an entirely different level to that of the domestic leagues.
All the pressure is once again on Barcelona to perform, however there is a distinct feeling that Real might very well be the Spanish team to watch this year.
All in all, this one will be between the favourites for sure, with Chelsea and Real Madrid being my pick to surprise.